1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to coin dispensers for dispensing stored coins, and more particularly to an improved detector unit assembly for detecting the blockage of coins being dispensed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Coin dispensing apparatus that can be mounted in various types of machines to dispense change and/or winnings in a gaming machine are well known. An example of a hopper type coin dispensing apparatus is seen U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,433. A storage hopper can store coins in bulk, and a rotary disk member can agitate the stored coins and selectively engage individual coins and rotate them to a coin dispensing passageway. Such coin dispensers can be installed within a gaming machine 100 disclosed in FIG. 28, having a coin hopper 101, with a disk charge exit 102. Referring to FIG. 29, a support frame 111 extends vertically upward from a base 110. The base 110 can be mounted within the gaming machine. A hopper support base 112 is fixed to the frame 111, at an angle of 60xc2x0 to the horizontal. A motor 113 can be attached to the rear surface of the hopper base 112. A rotation disk 114, which can be driven by the motor 113 through a reduction gear, is mounted for rotation on a surface of the hopper base 112. The rotating disk includes a coin supporting surface 116, which extends annularly about the rim of the rotating disk 114. A ledge or tier 115 is provided on the rotating disk 114, while pins 117 are spaced at predetermined positions or intervals to be able to engage and separate individual coins on the coin load plane 116 for further support on the tier 115.
A cylindrical hopper ring 118 is fixed on the hopper base 112, and in turn, supports a coin bowl 119 that can be fixed to the hopper ring 118. The coin bowl has a coin opening 120 on an upper side wall. A coin separating receiving knife edge 121 is fixed on the hopper base 112 and is located near the tier 115.
A coin counter 130 includes a shaft 131 fixed to the hopper base 112 and a lever 132 which pivots around the shaft 131. A count roller 133 is provided at the end of the lever 132, while a count sensor will sense the movement of the lever 132 to provide a count of the coins being dispensed. A guide plate 134 can cover the base of the knife member 121. A spring (not shown) can bias the lever 132 in a counter-clockwise direction. A stopper that is located on the hopper base 112 can be utilized to maintain the lever in a desired position. The coin passageway 135 includes the hopper base 112, the guide plate 134, and the upper surface of the knife member 121 to thereby provide a coin passageway 135, with a coin exit 136 at the end of the passageway.
When a customer activates the gaming machine shown in FIG. 28 by inserting a coin within the entrance slot 103, game play is initiated. The coin can be dispensed into the coin bowl 119 through a duct (not disclosed). If the customer wins, the game machine, through a control device, such as a microprocessor based computer system, can output a signal to discharge a fixed number of coins. Upon such an occasion, the motor 113 of the coin hopper will rotate it, so that the rotating disk 114 (shown in FIG. 29) will rotate in a counter-clockwise direction. The coins will be agitated in the coin bowl 119 and individual coins can engage the pins 117. The coins will be supported by the tier 115 as they are transported upward by the rotating disk 114. When the coins come into contact with the knife member 121, the coin will be released or redirected to the rotating disk 114 into the coin passageway 135. The pin 117 will push the coin into the coin passageway 135. A roller will contact the coin as it enters the coin passageway, and will in turn, move the lever 130 in a clockwise direction to provide an activation of a count sensor unit. The count sensor unit will output a signal every time a coin comes into contact with a roller 133. When the count sensor becomes a predetermined number, the motor 113 will stop its rotation and thereby stop the discharge of the coins.
If a person attempts to insert a hand, or other object into the coin exit 102 during the discharging of the coins, the coin exit 136 can be blocked and the motor 113 will stop automatically, resulting either from a detection of a change in the electric current, from the resistance, or, for example, if the coin counter 130 does not output a signal. An unscrupulous person can contend that they had won the predetermined number of coins, but that the machine jammed and that they were cheated out of the dispensing of the coins.
Since there is a large number of coin dispensing hoppers already installed in gaming machines, there is a desire to not only address this problem in a relatively efficient and inexpensive manner, but also to provide a device that could be retrofitted on existing coin dispensing apparatus.
The present invention provides an improved coin dispensing mechanism and coin detecting unit which can efficiently determine a blockage or obstruction of coins being dispensed from the coin dispensing machine.
A coin passageway can have an upper undulating or irregular configuration to provide one or more compartments, or elevations, along the coin passageway to enable a coin to be moved apart from the support surface of the passageway, when a preceding coin is stopped in the passageway. A detector unit can be mounted adjacent or within, for example, a first compartment, or expansion of the coin passageway to operatively determine the location of a coin moved apart from the support surface and into the first compartment, to thereby generate a detection signal, indicating a blockage of the coin passageway. A deflector unit can be activated to deflect succeeding coins from being introduced into the passageway and to cause them to be returned to the storage hopper, when a blockage of the coin passageway occurs. Additionally, a second compartment, or elevation, in the passageway can receive a second succeeding coin that is moved apart from the support surface.
A counter unit is positioned between the detector unit and the deflector unit to provide an accurate count of coins even during a blockage of the coin passageway.
Various configurations of the coin passageway can be provided, along with various configurations of the detector member that can operatively detect a location of a coin forced upward into the first compartment above the support surface of the coin passageway.